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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. key — in music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — happy
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spell — letters
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — magic
  24. kid — to tease

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