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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. object — to protest
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. clip — a video
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. object — a thing

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