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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rash — a series
  7. file — a document
  8. roll — a cake
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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