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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — in music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. face — to confront

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