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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: nail · face · dip · bass · bear · safe · spring · net

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — low music

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