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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rest — a break
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — the animal
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ball — a great time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — to recline

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