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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.

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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: chip · last · mug · key · shower · bear · face · cell

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. last — to go on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. last — finally
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — rain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — final
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. key — the most important part

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