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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: snap · key · ball · cap · face · stand · mug · prune

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — in music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. face — to point toward
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to confront
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — part of the head

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