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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — in music
  6. row — a line
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. face — to point toward
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bay — a horse colour

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