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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 120 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
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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 · mate · stock · trunk · bark · last · fall · squash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. last — final
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — finally
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. last — to go on
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — a partner

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