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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. present — there
  3. spring — a coil
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — a gift
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — the time now
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. sharp — exactly

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