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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: wake · bass · season · temple · pitch · press · face · deal

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — of the year
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bass — low music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — completely
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — the instrument

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