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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — a break
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — of a tree

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