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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. suit — clothes
  12. drill — a practice
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — a price
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — help
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — to succeed

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