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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. roll — a list
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. face — to point toward
  12. roll — a cake
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  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