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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.

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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — happy
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a hat
  24. straw — a straw man

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