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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: kick · fan · face · track · mouse · mine · bass · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bass — low music

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