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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.

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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — a leader
  6. face — to point toward
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — army training
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. face — to confront
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a bank

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