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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — all right
  24. rock — music

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