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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 116 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: bear · bark · bank · file · bore · pass · wound · bass

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — low music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. file — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — an injury

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