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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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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: cell · bear · bat · face · key · suit · arm · lash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — an eyelash

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