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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — a trail
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — soda
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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