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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. face — to confront
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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