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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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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: clip · court · face · bank · content · mug · firm · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. clip — for paper
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a cup
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — decided
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rule — government
  18. court — for sport
  19. clip — a video
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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