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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a song
  16. chest — a box
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a committee
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — a break

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