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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — part of the head
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spell — magic
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. key — for a lock

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