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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 water is too ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — certain
  4. branch — a division
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — to confront

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