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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: face · fine · suit · firm · tear · bound · bass · present

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — a gift
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — the time now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — the fish
  13. suit — clothes
  14. firm — decided
  15. present — there
  16. fine — all right
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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