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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cold — not warm
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. net — for catching
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. face — to point toward
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — there

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