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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: face · cabinet · tear · leaves · key · nail · degree · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — the most important part
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — a list
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tear — to rip
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tear — from crying

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