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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — certain
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. game — wild animals
  21. march — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — employees

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