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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. clip — to cut
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — decided
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — steady
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spell — letters
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — for a lock
  23. firm — a company
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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