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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 116 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: fine · trunk · wound · dip · stand · row · bass · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — high quality
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — a line

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