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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.

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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: calf · fine · mug · bass · cap · firm · face · prune

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — of ice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — low music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — to point toward

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