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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — to dunk

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