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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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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 · rash · root · pit · bark · net · wind · wave

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — a series
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — hasty
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — after costs
  12. root — of a word
  13. pit — in a race
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rash — on the skin

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