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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — ground
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a song
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — the animal

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