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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. roll — a list
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — thin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lean — to bend
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bass — low music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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