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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: tear · key · cabinet · face · fine · bay · spring · pass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. face — to confront
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spring — the season

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