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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: face · fine · tube · deal · key · fork · hide · chair

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — high quality
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — to handle
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chair — a leader
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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