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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. season — of the year
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — for sport
  16. season — in sport
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to point toward

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