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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: nail · foot · plane · stand · tear · net · bass · face

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — after costs
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tear — to rip
  11. net — in sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — low music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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