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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — electricity
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — steady
  8. charge — a price
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to confront
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — decided
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rest — what's left

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