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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · wake · lash · bass · bark · face · key · file

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — to confront
  4. file — a line of people
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a document
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — an eyelash

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