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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. club — for golf
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bass — low music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wind — moving air

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