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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: row · band · sharp · face · bass · chest · suit · temple

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. row — to paddle
  8. face — to point toward
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — clever
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chest — a box
  21. band — a ring
  22. bass — the fish
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — with an edge

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