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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — to breed
  4. face — to confront
  5. firm — decided
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — happy
  21. firm — steady
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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