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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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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: bass · wind · present · bat · arm · ruler · toast · bark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. toast — bread
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ruler — for measuring

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