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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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Word bank
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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — for a lock

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