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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wave · bat · fan · face · date · race · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — low music
  12. race — a contest
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to confront
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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