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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 120 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: mate · tear · temple · swing · wake · bass · track · bear

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — low music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — the fish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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