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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — a practice
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — for catching
  8. capital — money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — a city
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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