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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: bay · row · prune · bass · face · wake · race · bark

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bass — the fish
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. race — the arms race
  6. row — a line
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — to confront
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — a contest

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