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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: bass · fall · wound · race · safe · face · bowl · fan

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — humankind
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bass — the fish
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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