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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — money
  12. key — for a lock
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. capital — a big letter
  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