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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: track · chair · date · bay · bass · face · lash · arm

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — to point toward
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — to keep track
  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