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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: clip · stick · temple · straw · face · bass · row · season

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. clip — to cut
  13. row — to paddle
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bass — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. straw — a straw man

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