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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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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: branch · suit · cap · face · cold · plane · bound · key

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a hat
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — part of the head
  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