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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 124 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: bass · calf · arm · deal · march · bark · date · face

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. march — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. face — to confront
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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