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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: content · cap · firm · file · bound · stand · track · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — to bear
  9. content — happy
  10. file — a line of people
  11. content — the amount
  12. cap — a hat
  13. firm — a company
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a document
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — decided

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