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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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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: track · stand · face · present · row · object · chest · key

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. present — the time now
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. chest — a box
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. track — a path
  16. row — a line
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — a gift
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — there
  21. key — in music
  22. track — a song
  23. key — the most important part
  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