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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: bat · hand · lean · key · face · swing · vault · staff

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bat — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — thin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — to play on
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to bend

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