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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: ball · lie · cap · can · face · march · bay · last

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. last — finally
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cap — of ice
  16. last — final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — to go on
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — music
  23. ball — a dance
  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