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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to confront
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — low music
  24. drill — the tool

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