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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — low music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bowl — a dish

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