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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — happy
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. file — a document
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — to confront
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cue — a hint
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cue — a signal

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