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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — to tire
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — low music
  10. roll — a list
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lash — an eyelash

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