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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. sharp — clever
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. roll — a list
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — gave birth

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