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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 124 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 · date · pop · cell · pass · bear · mate · roll

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kick — in football
  14. cell — a phone
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — a permit

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