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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.

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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: face · cell · ball · bay · present · mark · sharp · fork

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. present — there
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cell — in biology
  14. present — the time now
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. present — a gift
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. face — to confront

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