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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — all right
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — to eat
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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