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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — part of the head
  4. staff — a stick
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — the most important part
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. court — of a king
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — in music
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — a straw man

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