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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pound — a weight

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