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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — the most important part
  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