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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: key · fine · face · fan · fall · bass · suit · last

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — low music
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. suit — in cards
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — final
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — the season
  19. last — to go on
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — high quality

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