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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bound — obliged
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — certain
  24. pass — a permit

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