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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: present · rash · bore · mark · chair · key · rock · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — to drill
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. key — in music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — there

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