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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. present — a gift
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — the time now
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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