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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: bark · racket · temple · net · face · snap · bass · bay

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. net — after costs
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bass — low music
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bark — to shout
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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