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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — obliged
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — of a word
  24. pass — to spend time

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