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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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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: foot · track · face · last · bark · bass · object · bank

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — to go on
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bark — to shout
  10. object — an aim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bass — low music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to confront
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. last — final
  24. bass — the fish

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