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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to spend time

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