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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.

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: saw · mine · dip · season · can · content · rest · bay

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — of the year
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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