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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chest — a box
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — part of the head
  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