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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · can · wake · row · face · bass · scale · spell

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — a line
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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