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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — a permit
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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