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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. face — to confront
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — the most important part
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — to point toward
  13. last — finally
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — final
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. season — of the year

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