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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — rain
  16. fall — the season
  17. shower — to wash
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the sport

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