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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.

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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: net · craft · wave · nail · present · face · bowl · bass

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — to confront
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — to point toward
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — boats
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — there
  16. bass — low music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. present — a gift
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — a skill

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