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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · mine · deal · jam · pitcher · wave · rash · face

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — the amount
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. content — happy
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rash — hasty
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. face — to confront
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. face — to point toward

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