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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.

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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: safe · face · season · bark · bass · content · bank · shower

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the fish
  10. content — happy
  11. face — to point toward
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. shower — to wash
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — rain

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