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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · bound · file · patient · safe · face · firm · game

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. file — a document
  5. game — a match
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. file — a tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. key — in music
  24. file — a line of people

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