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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — certain
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. squash — the sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for dancing
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — in sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. club — a group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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