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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.

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: dip · bass · clip · bulb · safe · branch · bark · rest

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. clip — to cut
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — a division
  24. dip — to sink

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