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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · file · face · pop · pit · land · bowl · last

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. land — a country
  14. file — a tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. last — finally
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. pit — in a race
  24. land — ground

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