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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: face · mouse · cell · mine · ball · key · date · squash

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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