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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · spell · mate · kid · stand · face · cap · pitcher

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mate — a friend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to confront
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kid — child
  24. face — to point toward

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