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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — to confront
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to click
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bat — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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