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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.

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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: race · bark · temple · craft · leaves · lean · bass · pound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pound — a weight
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — a skill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — boats

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