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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. content — the amount
  8. current — of water
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. current — electric
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — to point toward
  16. content — happy
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — part of the head
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — to handle

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