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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.

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: bass · pitcher · lie · rest · fall · bark · bulb · drill

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — to shout
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bark — of a tree
  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