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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — the animal

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