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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — happy
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — part of the head
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to point toward
  21. content — the amount
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — an injury

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