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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — obliged
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — a company
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — certain
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — steady
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. suit — in cards

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