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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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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: staff · rush · snap · chest · ground · net · bark · pass

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — a position
  6. snap — to click
  7. net — after costs
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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