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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — a face
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mug — a cup
  6. march — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. face — to confront
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. date — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — in music

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