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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: bass · bat · plane · face · arm · foot · mug · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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