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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: land · stem · march · bass · face · hide · rock · temple

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — part of the head
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — to come from
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to confront
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. bass — low music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — music

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