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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. season — in sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — help
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. deal — to handle

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