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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — to point toward
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. bass — the fish

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