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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: ruler · mine · plane · kid · present · mate · bass · face

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — the time now
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — there
  8. bass — low music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — a gift
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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