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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — a price
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to point toward
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. content — happy
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — a measure
  13. content — the amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — for a lock
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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