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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — for a lock
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — final
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. suit — clothes
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — in music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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