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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — low music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of law
  9. wax — to grow
  10. court — for sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of a king
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to confront

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