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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — temperature
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — for a lock
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cue — for pool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — a signal
  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