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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — a container

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