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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cold — not warm
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — the most important part
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of a king
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. court — of law
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — in music

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