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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. ball — a dance
  3. roll — a list
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. face — to confront
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a great time
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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