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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mate — a partner
  7. key — in music
  8. track — a song
  9. field — farmland
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. field — for sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — to keep track
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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