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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
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: current · track · face · kick · key · cell · band · sharp

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cell — in biology
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — electric
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. track — a path

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