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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: bark · bass · pitcher · temple · lean · dip · wave · degree

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — thin
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to bend
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — an amount
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — of a tree

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