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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: face · swing · content · track · wave · craft · staff · lie

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a path
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. staff — a stick
  16. face — to confront
  17. craft — boats
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lie — to recline

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