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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: wave · bark · wake · bay · temple · face · bass · date

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to confront
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bass — low music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — with your hand

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