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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · prune · bass · sharp · racket · temple · row · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bass — low music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — a trail
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. prune — to trim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. prune — the fruit

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