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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 120 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: face · patient · ground · plane · wind · current · mug · bass

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. face — part of the head
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to confront
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. current — of water
  20. wind — moving air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — happening now
  23. ground — the earth
  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