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

Word bank: pop · wind · suit · face · rock · cold · bound · season

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to confront
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pop — soda
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cold — not warm

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