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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: straw · shower · stick · mark · content · fine · wave · face

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — part of the head
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — happy
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — the amount
  20. face — to confront
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. shower — rain

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