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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
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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 · leaves · club · rule · temple · nail · bark · mark

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — for golf
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. temple — side of the head

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