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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 116 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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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: bay · cap · leaves · fork · face · land · mate · key

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — a country
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fork — in a road
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bay — a horse colour

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