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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — happy
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hand — help
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. firm — a company

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