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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · bark · saw · bass · wake · bay · clip · bear

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — to cut
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. clip — a video
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — low music
  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