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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. face — to confront
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — part of the head

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