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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a match
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — part of the head

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