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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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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 · bass · temple · face · race · bank · cabinet · mouse

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — of a river
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — humankind

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