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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. content — happy
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to point toward
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. content — the amount
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — to get on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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