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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 116 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: kick · rush · deal · sharp · face · plane · wave · bass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rush — hurry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kick — a thrill

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