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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. clip — a video
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — rain
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bark — to shout
  24. clip — for paper

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