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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: cabinet · face · key · perch · bear · shower · mate · lie

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a friend
  9. perch — the fish
  10. key — in music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — to confront
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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