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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.

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: bark · key · straw · saw · stand · game · pass · rash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — in music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — a series
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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