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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — a box
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. face — to confront
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — to hurry

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