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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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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 · fall · ruler · wind · key · ball · bound · rest

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — obliged
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a dance
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — the most important part

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