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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.

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: coach · arm · tear · bass · pop · face · patient · plane

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bass — the fish
  3. face — to confront
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — to visit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to point toward
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tear — to rip
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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