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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — bread
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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