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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. content — the amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — a measure
  13. content — happy
  14. key — in music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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