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

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — low music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — to succeed

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