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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: face · bass · content · fine · wave · present · kid · board

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. present — a gift
  3. bass — low music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — the amount
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kid — to tease
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kid — child
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. face — to confront
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — to point toward

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