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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — certain
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — to succeed

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