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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — a measure
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — finally
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — final
  22. season — in sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. last — to go on

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