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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. key — the most important part
  3. land — to come down
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. land — ground
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — in football
  20. key — for a lock
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — the animal

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