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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: kid · present · bear · mouse · stand · row · pass · dip

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a line
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. present — a gift
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  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