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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: content · season · rush · face · wake · bowl · bass · row

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. face — to confront
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — happy
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — in sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — low music
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a dish

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