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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — to go on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — to confront
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bore — to drill

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