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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rash — a series
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. race — a contest
  24. fine — a penalty

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