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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · wave · dip · face · lie · pitcher · content · mouse

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — happy
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lie — to recline
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to confront

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