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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spring — of water

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