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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.

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: stick · face · ball · bore · lean · club · mine · content

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. content — happy
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bore — to drill
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — gave birth

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