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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. foot — a measure
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to confront
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. 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