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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — a country
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — rain
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — the season
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — to come down
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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