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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ground — a position
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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