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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. staff — employees
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ball — a dance
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — the amount
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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