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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
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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: face · mouse · can · bay · court · rash · fine · bass

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. court — of law
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — a series
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. court — of a king
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. court — for sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — to be able to

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