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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — the amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — a stem cell

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