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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.

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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: foot · arm · key · chip · face · perch · bound · band

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. face — to point toward
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — in music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. face — part of the head
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — certain
  16. chip — for betting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — to eat
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — to confront

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