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

Word bank: pound · pass · staff · bark · hide · fine · kid · band

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kid — child
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bark — to shout
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. band — a ring
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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