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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — to come down
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — to protest
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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