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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — there
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — a gift

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