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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. cap — a hat
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — a list
  8. content — happy
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a cake
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — of ice
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — on a roll

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