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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — the amount
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — after costs
  7. content — happy
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — in sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. net — for catching
  18. leaves — to go away

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