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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — final
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a song
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. last — finally
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. last — to go on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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