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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to confront
  4. clip — a video
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — for catching
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — in sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cell — in biology
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — a permit
  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