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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: face · foot · rest · tube · leaves · bass · swing · season

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — to confront
  17. bass — the fish
  18. swing — in golf
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — a container
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — lets stay

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