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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · bound · season · lie · wind · suit · chest · mine

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — to fit
  16. season — of the year
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chest — a box
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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