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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.

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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: lie · band · bark · bass · stick · bowl · prune · hide

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — to shout
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — low music
  24. prune — to trim

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