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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.

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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: net · face · bass · last · object · bowl · coach · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — in sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — finally
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — to go on
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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