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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · spell · dip · straw · key · mark · face · file

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — happy
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — letters
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mark — a trace
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — magic
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — to confront
  24. straw — dry grass

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