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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: bass · hide · bay · safe · face · content · leaves · dip

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — happy
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — to confront
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — the amount

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