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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — a series
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. march — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — the amount
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — music

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