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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · saw · craft · bass · degree · wound · charge · bark

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — a price
  7. bark — to shout
  8. degree — from a university
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. charge — in control
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — to bend
  16. craft — a skill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. lean — thin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — low music
  23. lean — to rest against
  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