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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: rest · key · tube · cap · face · sharp · staff · bowl

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — to confront
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — in music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — a lid

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