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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: wave · key · pass · vault · wind · face · fan · stick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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