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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 116 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: spell · face · bank · bear · plane · saw · bass · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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