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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — low music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. content — happy
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bass — the fish
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bass — the instrument

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