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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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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: file · bass · cell · foot · chest · mouse · object · face

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — to confront
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. file — a tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chest — a box
  24. bass — the fish

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