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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 · land · can · calf · bass · wave · present · row

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — ground
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — the time now
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — a line
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — there
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. face — to confront
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. land — a country

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