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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
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: foot · bark · bass · bulb · band · wind · lie · dip

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a music group
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — to shout
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to dunk

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