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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · foot · can · lash · bay · squash · content · cell

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. content — happy
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. foot — part of the body

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