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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · rush · spell · nail · bass · degree · fine · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — to confront
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — temperature
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — low music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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