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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.

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 · kid · capital · rash · squash · bass · present · leaves

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kid — child
  3. bass — low music
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — part of the head
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — there
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — a gift
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rash — hasty

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