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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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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: stem · key · face · pass · bass · clip · squash · foot

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. clip — a video
  4. key — in music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. face — part of the head
  20. clip — for paper
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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