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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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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: face · bass · perch · lash · stick · bank · mate · wax

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — low music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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