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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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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 · sharp · bark · bore · pitcher · dip · wound · last

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — final
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — clever
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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