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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
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: content · scale · straw · board · face · key · snap · net

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — happy
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — in music
  6. net — for catching
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. face — to point toward
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — in sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — to confront
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. content — the amount

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