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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — the most important part
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — final
  19. present — a gift
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — there

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