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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — a practice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — magic
  6. land — a country
  7. key — in music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spell — letters
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — a signal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. land — to come down
  24. drill — the tool

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