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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ball — a dance
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — to protest
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — a thing
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to confront
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. content — the amount
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — an aim

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