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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mine — an explosive

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