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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: rock · face · suit · bound · key · object · chest · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bound — certain
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chest — a box
  14. content — the amount
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — to protest

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