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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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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: staff · race · swing · bass · rush · lean · bark · bay

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. swing — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — low music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — a stick
  13. race — humankind
  14. bass — the fish
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — a contest
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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