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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 120 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
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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: cell · court · fine · bass · cap · hand · face · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bass — the fish
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — of law
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. court — for sport
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hand — help

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