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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. file — a document
  2. key — the most important part
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — to put up with

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