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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
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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: track · dip · key · face · bear · tube · lean · content

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — happy
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to confront
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a path
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. face — part of the head

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