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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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