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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. net — for catching
  8. spring — the season
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. net — after costs
  11. bark — to shout
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — of water
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — in sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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