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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: ruler · key · pop · hide · bound · wind · race · season

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — in music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — humankind
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — of the year
  11. key — for a lock
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — tied together
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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