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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.

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: bay · firm · clip · bowl · mouse · dip · face · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. clip — for paper
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — decided
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. face — to confront
  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