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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · date · safe · fall · bark · wake

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fall — the season
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — ground
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. land — to come down

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