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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a document
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — rain
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — to wash

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