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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — hurry
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bat — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. land — a country
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — a stick
  23. key — for a lock
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com