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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — final
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. face — to confront
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — a thing
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bound — obliged
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. land — ground
  19. object — to protest
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bass — low music

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