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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 120 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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — of water
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — in music
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — in sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. saw — the tool

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