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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 116 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: fan · object · saw · club · plane · hide · face · bass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to point toward
  11. club — for golf
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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