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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. key — for a lock
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — a cup
  8. content — the amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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