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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. face — to confront
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. roll — a list
  24. deal — to handle

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