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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — of a word
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. clip — for paper
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — the cause

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