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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: rest · leaves · bass · prune · season · temple · lash · face

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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