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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · face · key · cell · spring · chair · ruler · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — in music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spring — of water
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. face — to confront
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — for a lock
  22. clip — a video
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chair — a leader

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