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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spring — the season
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — on your feet

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