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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — humankind
  4. pop — soda
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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