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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
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: hide · can · face · key · rule · cue · stick · bound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — a law
  8. bound — certain
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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