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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to confront
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — lets stay

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