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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: kid · object · cell · face · bowl · bear · pitcher · can

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — to protest
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — an aim
  15. kid — child
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — a tin

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