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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — to bend
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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