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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — happy
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. face — part of the head
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — to handle
  18. field — for sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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