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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to point toward
  8. content — the amount
  9. rest — a break
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — happy
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. face — part of the head

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