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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — a stick
  6. net — after costs
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — a container
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to confront
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. club — for dancing

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