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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. face — part of the head
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. content — happy
  16. track — to keep track
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — a company
  24. content — the amount

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