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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. club — a group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — decided
  16. face — to confront
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. game — a match

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