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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — to be able to
  7. present — there
  8. stock — goods
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — a gift
  24. rush — to hurry

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