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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: mine · dip · tear · bear · season · chip · rest · pass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — in sport
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — of the year
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rest — a break

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