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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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