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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — in sport
  10. lean — to bend
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — a company
  19. cap — a lid
  20. net — after costs
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. ground — the earth
  24. content — happy

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