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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — a contest
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. race — humankind
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pop — music

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