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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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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 · track · safe · chair · mate · lie · mark · face

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lie — to recline
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — a leader
  10. face — part of the head
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. chair — a professorship
  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