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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: face · kick · can · saw · capital · chair · bound · wake

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — money
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. capital — a city
  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