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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: clip · temple · stick · tear · bass · bark · leaves · scale

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — size or range
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — the fish
  14. clip — for paper
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — a video
  18. scale — in music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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