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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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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: date · fan · key · face · spell · track · net · wake

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — magic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — after costs
  12. key — in music
  13. net — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — for catching
  17. track — a path
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fan — to cool the air

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