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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — of a river
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. spell — a short time
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — the amount
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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