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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: hand · temple · key · face · charge · wound · object · cue

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hand — in cards
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — to protest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — help
  10. cue — a signal
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. charge — a price

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