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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. key — in music
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — a gift
  12. hand — in cards
  13. face — to confront
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. key — the most important part
  24. staff — a stick

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