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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: can · lie · face · capital · kick · ground · bass · content

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. face — to confront
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — a position
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. content — the amount
  22. ground — crushed
  23. kick — with a leg
  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