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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — a law
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — government
  24. face — part of the head

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