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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · key · craft · pass · temple · land · roll · face

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — a country
  6. ground — crushed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — part of the head
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — to come down
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. land — ground
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — a permit
  23. roll — a list
  24. temple — a place of worship

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