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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.

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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.

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: foot · date · present · mate · bat · key · face · saw

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — to confront
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. present — there
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — to breed

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