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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: lie · fan · ground · bark · bass · plane · calf · rock

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — of the leg

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