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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.

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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: wake · coach · bass · plane · face · saw · key · shower

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — in music
  5. face — to confront
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — to wash
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bass — the fish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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