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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — low music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lie — to recline
  24. plane — a 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