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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — finally
  11. bat — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — final
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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