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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. face — to confront
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — a video
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — a measure
  11. suit — to fit
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — a stone
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — happening now

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