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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — the time now
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a tree

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