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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 116 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: bay · kid · wound · suit · lie · bass · chair · bark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kid — to tease
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — to recline

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