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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 · stick · lean · sharp · face · bound · track · cell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. face — to confront
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lean — to bend
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cell — a phone

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