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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rush — hurry
  21. band — a music group
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — to hurry

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