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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to confront
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — to get on
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — magic
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spell — letters
  11. wind — moving air
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — the amount
  20. rest — a break
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a path

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