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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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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — to point toward
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. toast — bread
  9. object — a thing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. object — an aim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — a box
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — low music
  21. object — to protest
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. toast — the most admired

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