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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. content — happy
  6. perch — the fish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — the amount
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. perch — for a bird

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