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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. board — to get on

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