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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · dip · scale · squash · net · cabinet · bay · face

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — to crush
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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