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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pop — music
  3. key — in music
  4. face — to confront
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — to cut
  17. key — for a lock
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stand — to bear

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