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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cap — a hat

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