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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — happy
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to confront
  20. content — the amount
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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