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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 120 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
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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: pop · season · mug · foot · plane · bay · face · content

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — to confront
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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