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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: mine · wind · plane · bark · pass · bay · land · chip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. land — ground
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. land — to come down
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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