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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 · charge · bay · bass · plane · spring · bark · fall

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fall — the season
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. charge — a price
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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