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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: row · kick · object · firm · shower · face · spring · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. face — to confront
  3. shower — rain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. face — to point toward
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — a company
  10. bass — low music
  11. firm — decided
  12. kick — in football
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spring — the season
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — of water
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — to wash
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — part of the head
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — a line
  24. object — to protest

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