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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — the amount
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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