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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cue — a signal
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — exactly

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