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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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