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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — in football
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — the animal

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