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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — hasty

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