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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 · temple · ball · coach · tear · hide · bass · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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