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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — part of the head
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — the season
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fall — to drop

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