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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: face · cabinet · wave · key · stick · rule · wound · bound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rule — a law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. face — part of the head
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — to confront
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — of the sea

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