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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — in music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. key — the most important part
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — happy
  23. face — part of the head
  24. saw — the tool

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