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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — certain
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — to play on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mug — a face
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mug — to rob

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