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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — a box
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hand — in cards
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rock — music

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