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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — the most important part
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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