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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — decided
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. fall — the season
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — a committee
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — part of the head
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. band — a ring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — steady
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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