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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · mate · chip · last · safe · pass · bound · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a friend
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — a permit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. last — final

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