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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pop — soda
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — the Cold War

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