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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — for a lock
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a face
  23. wax — to grow
  24. face — to point toward

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