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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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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: rule · content · arm · firm · mate · face · stick · fall

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — the amount
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — a law
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. content — happy
  21. fall — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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