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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — obliged
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — certain
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — moving air

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