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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
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: face · bass · plane · fan · perch · hand · scale · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — to point toward
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — low music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — to confront
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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