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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: ball · game · mouse · key · face · lean · pit · rash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lean — to bend

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