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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
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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 · lie · bass · drill · calf · date · toast · root

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — part of the head
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — of a word
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — a young animal

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