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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 120 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: face · stick · kick · rest · suit · ball · cell · key

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to confront
  7. rest — a break
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — in football
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. suit — in cards

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