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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — happy
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pound — a weight
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. content — the amount
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lie — to recline

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