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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fine — all right
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — for a lock
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wound — an injury

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