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

Word bank: kick · straw · bear · dip · pass · chip · mate · content

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — a partner
  11. content — happy
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pass — to spend time

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