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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 120 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: chest · suit · track · face · foot · can · key · straw

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — a measure
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chest — a box
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — to point toward
  20. track — a path
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. face — to confront

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