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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mate — a partner
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kid — to tease
  5. face — part of the head
  6. last — finally
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mug — a cup
  9. last — final
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — to go on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mug — to rob
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kid — child
  24. face — to confront

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