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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.

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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — the season
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — of the sea

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