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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 · trunk · snap · content · mouse · mine · bark · safe

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. snap — to click
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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