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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — part of the head
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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