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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — magic
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — the arms race

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