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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: swing · wake · face · mouse · bass · staff · bay · mate

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — low music
  5. swing — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bass — the fish
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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