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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mate — to breed
  3. face — to point toward
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. chest — a box
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — a partner

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