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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of a king
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — a permit
  18. object — to protest
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — a thing

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