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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — a committee
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. content — happy
  9. kid — child
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — part of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bank — of a river
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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