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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
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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: bound · plane · pitcher · bass · season · dip · face · wake

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. season — of the year
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bound — certain
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — low music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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