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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. swing — in golf
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — ground
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — part of the head

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