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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: key · hide · craft · face · date · pass · degree · coach

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — in music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. face — to confront
  13. craft — boats
  14. degree — from a university
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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