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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: bark · prune · rest · bass · safe · stock · lie · fall

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lie — to recline
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stock — goods
  12. fall — the season
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — low music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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