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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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468
Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. content — happy
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — high quality
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — the amount

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