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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. can — to be able to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — to wash
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. shower — rain
  16. land — to come down
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  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