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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. face — to confront
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. key — for a lock
  24. craft — a skill

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