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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
468
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: tear · net · bass · ruler · trunk · bark · last · hide

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. net — after costs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — in sport
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — to go on
  20. tear — to rip
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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