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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — for catching
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a music group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — after costs

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