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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — the fruit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. face — to confront
  22. shower — to wash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — on the calendar

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