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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: face · bowl · arm · bass · rash · firm · can · spring

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — a company
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — hasty
  13. firm — steady
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — the fish

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