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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rash — hasty
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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