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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. key — the most important part
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a face
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kid — child
  24. key — in music

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