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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. file — a tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a document
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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