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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — for pool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — a match
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — wild animals
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — happy

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