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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.

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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: land · bark · track · lie · row · bass · safe · staff

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — to shout
  23. staff — a stick
  24. land — ground

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