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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.

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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: bay · fall · saw · face · mouse · wake · root · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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