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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: bass · track · toast · arm · prune · bear · wound · bark

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bass — low music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. toast — bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. track — a song
  24. bark — to shout

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