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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. shower — to wash
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ball — a great time
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — a permit
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. bear — to put up with
  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