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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to confront
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — a list
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — tied together
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — bread
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. roll — a cake
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bound — obliged

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