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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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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: last · content · face · nail · mark · tube · cap · bass

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. last — finally
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — to go on
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to point toward
  15. content — the amount
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bass — low music
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — final
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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