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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — army training
  14. key — the most important part
  15. face — to confront
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cap — of ice

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