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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a word
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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