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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — to confront
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. ground — crushed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. key — in music
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. can — a tin

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