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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to confront
  11. content — the amount
  12. face — part of the head
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — a stone

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