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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chest — a box

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