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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to confront
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bark — to shout
  20. march — music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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