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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. drill — army training
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — dry grass

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