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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — thin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — the fish
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — to rest against

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