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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. capital — money
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — to wash
  7. court — for sport
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. clip — to cut
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — a video
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a city
  22. court — of a king
  23. lie — to recline
  24. court — of law

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