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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: content · mug · face · game · fan · mark · can · land

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to confront
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mark — a grade
  8. game — a match
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — the amount
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fan — a supporter

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