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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — a stick
  18. object — an aim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. object — a thing
  24. row — a quarrel

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