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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — obliged
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — a phone
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cell — in biology
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — of the year
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. season — in sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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