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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spring — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mine — for digging
  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