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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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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 · suit · foot · bass · last · wake · charge · kick

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — a trail
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — final
  9. kick — in football
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — low music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. face — to point toward

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