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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.

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: bass · spring · bear · content · hide · face · rock · scale

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — a coil
  17. face — part of the head
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to confront
  23. bass — the instrument
  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