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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — in music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to confront
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — for a lock

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