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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: fan · face · stick · shower · bowl · suit · chest · bass

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — low music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chest — of your body
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — to wash
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. suit — in cards

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