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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: face · saw · drill · lie · key · wind · coach · firm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — decided
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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