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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: bass · content · wake · bear · shower · face · temple · bark

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. face — part of the head
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — low 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