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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: bass · calf · face · ball · prune · wind · foot · plane

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bass — low music
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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