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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — to come down
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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