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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ground — crushed
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. key — the most important part

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