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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — to come down
  24. deal — a big deal

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