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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.

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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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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: swing · row · bank · face · rest · bass · bay · temple

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — a line
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — for money

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