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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
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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: cap · key · mate · racket · face · wax · suit · hide

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — part of the head
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hide — animal skin

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