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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: lash · game · bowl · bark · pop · mine · pass · snap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bark — of a tree

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