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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. shower — rain
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. charge — a price
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. shower — to wash
  16. key — in music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a path
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — a stone

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