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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — the amount
  5. face — to point toward
  6. content — happy
  7. tube — the underground
  8. firm — steady
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — decided
  24. wind — moving air

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