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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. last — to go on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — finally
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — final
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. key — in music

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