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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — for catching
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. face — to point toward
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. face — part of the head
  21. net — in sport
  22. key — in music
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — to confront

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