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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — music
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — all right
  6. face — to point toward
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fine — high quality
  16. scale — in music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. snap — to click
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — size or range

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