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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — finally
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. object — a thing
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. temple — a place of worship

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