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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — rain
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — a position
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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