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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · patient · bowl · bass · march · sharp · cabinet · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a football final

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