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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — a container
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. ball — a dance

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