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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — part of the head
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — for a lock

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