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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — happy
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. object — a thing
  19. mark — a trace
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — to pay attention

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