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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: face · fan · bass · squash · plane · bay · trunk · kid

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kid — child
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — to tease
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — to crush

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