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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: capital · patient · bass · plane · fan · face · snap · object

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. snap — to click
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — to point toward
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. object — to protest

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