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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.

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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 · bear · bark · mark · wave · firm · race · bank

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. firm — decided
  8. bass — low music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. bear — to put up with

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