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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. drill — army training
  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