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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
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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: plane · bass · face · rush · can · spell · chair · shower

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chair — a leader
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bass — the fish
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. face — to confront
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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