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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: straw · foot · cell · spring · bay · pass · bound · face

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — certain
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. spring — of water
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cell — in biology
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — obliged
  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