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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.

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: bark · chip · plane · cabinet · bore · pass · bat · wake

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bat — the animal

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