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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: bass · cap · suit · face · ruler · land · staff · last

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — final
  9. cap — of ice
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — finally
  18. land — ground
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — a country

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