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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: pass · bass · bound · wake · foot · tear · patient · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bass — low music

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