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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. firm — a company
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rash — a series
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. firm — steady
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — to bend
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — to shout

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