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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: pitcher · bass · saw · face · deal · plane · temple · row

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — a line

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