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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: temple · saw · face · date · fine · bark · wake · pass

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — high quality
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — the fruit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — all right

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