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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — a song

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