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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. court — of law

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