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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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468
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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — part of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — of the leg

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