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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · spell · shower · hide · bark · ball · staff · coach

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. ball — a great time
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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