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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. key — the most important part
  3. face — part of the head
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pop — soda
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pop — music
  24. cell — a phone

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