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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — a price
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — part of the head
  22. firm — decided
  23. rest — what's left
  24. key — in music

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