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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 116 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.

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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: stem · mug · safe · can · capital · pop · face · bay

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. capital — money
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. face — part of the head

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