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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: plane · cue · fine · face · cap · tear · bass · prune

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — the instrument

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