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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — in music
  14. rule — government
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. squash — to crush
  19. track — a song
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — the vegetable

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