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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · face · cue · fine · key · chair · rash · wind

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — steady
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a professorship

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