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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — a penalty

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