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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — to confront

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