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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
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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 · content · key · object · nail · pit · cabinet · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — the amount
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — an aim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. key — in music
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. key — for a lock

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