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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — ground
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — the season
  8. bark — to shout
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — a country
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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