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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fine — all right
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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