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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to confront
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tube — the underground
  15. drill — the tool
  16. key — in music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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