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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a match
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. root — of a word
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. root — the cause

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