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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — a break
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — the fruit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for golf
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — thin

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