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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. last — to go on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. content — happy
  13. fine — high quality
  14. face — part of the head
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — all right
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a music group
  20. face — to confront
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — final
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a ring

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