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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. key — for a lock
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. face — part of the head
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — in sport
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — a series

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