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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — low music
  4. capital — money
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a city
  14. face — part of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — a tin

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