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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — a stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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