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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · date · scale · land · face · kick · mouse · dip

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — to come down
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — in football
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  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