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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 120 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
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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: fall · pass · clip · mark · dip · bark · rock · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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