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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — a series
  24. chair — a professorship

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