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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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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: craft · pop · wound · key · season · bound · face · stand

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — part of the head
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — boats
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — in sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bound — tied together

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