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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.

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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: bear · fine · key · face · mark · capital · squash · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. face — to confront
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — in music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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