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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · bound · face · wake · straw · fall · plane · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — to confront
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — a trace
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fall — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — obliged
  20. key — for a lock
  21. plane — a tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bound — certain

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