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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bore — to drill
  18. dip — a sauce

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