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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.

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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — ground
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — a permit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. face — to point toward
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — an aircraft

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