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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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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: wake · race · content · face · bay · stem · bear · bowl

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — happy
  24. bear — to put up with

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