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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 120 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.

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: wake · straw · pass · land · ball · rule · bark · bowl

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a great time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — a law
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — government

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