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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — for catching
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — a box
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — all right
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. key — in music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — after costs
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — in sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. fine — a penalty
  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