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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · kick · prune · face · fan · bay · coach · bound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — in football
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — a supporter

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