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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
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: face · present · degree · date · pass · suit · arm · bass

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. face — part of the head
  3. date — the fruit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — low music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. degree — temperature
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pass — a permit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bass — the fish

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