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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. game — a match
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — to recline
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cold — not warm
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — for betting

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