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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — clothes
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — final
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — high quality
  18. last — finally
  19. key — the most important part
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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