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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. kid — child
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. tear — to rip

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