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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the fish
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to point toward
  18. content — the amount
  19. face — part of the head
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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