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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: pound · face · wind · bear · key · leaves · march · chair

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — a weight
  10. key — in music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. march — the month
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. face — to point toward

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