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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 124 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — letters
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — low music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. charge — in control
  24. rush — to hurry

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