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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — a container
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — money
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — a big letter

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