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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.

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 · band · chip · squash · key · ball · cabinet · fall

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — in music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — part of the head

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