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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of a car

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