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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 · ball · bowl · bass · file · stem · craft

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. file — a tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the fish
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — to come from
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. craft — a skill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a great time

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