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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: bulb · lean · bass · face · mate · racket · shower · present

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lean — to bend
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — the time now
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — there
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. present — a gift
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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