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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — the season
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. present — there
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — a coil
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — clever

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