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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — in music
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — to push
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — finally
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — the most important part

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