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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.

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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: pound · cabinet · cell · bass · pass · firm · face · craft

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bass — the fish
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — boats
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. firm — a company
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. firm — steady

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