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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. 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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — of a king
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — the underground
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — to rip
  24. 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