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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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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bass — the fish
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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