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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. bat — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — a path

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