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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 120 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: bass · fan · bank · bark · sharp · lie · bulb · wake

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the instrument

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