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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: nail · bear · clip · prune · dip · pass · pop · bark

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. clip — a video
  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