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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pass · saw · land · bark · stem · wind · safe · rush

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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