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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a trace
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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