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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. face — to confront
  15. band — a music group
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — a box
  20. key — for a lock
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — side 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