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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. content — the amount
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — happy
  11. club — for golf
  12. capital — money
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — to recline
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to confront

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