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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: date · key · bay · snap · face · roll · ball · hide

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. date — the fruit
  3. key — in music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — a cake
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — a list
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — to keep secret

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