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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hand — in cards
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — help
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bark — to shout

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