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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 120 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: plane · scale · rest · stock · chair · hide · face · bass

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — shares
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — goods
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — a tool

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