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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — part of the head
  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