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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
468
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: spell · hand · bay · face · march · bowl · stand · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. march — the month
  5. mine — for digging
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — to confront
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. march — music
  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