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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: rash · firm · bound · plane · saw · present · bark · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. firm — steady
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. present — there
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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