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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pass · leaves · roll · pit · object · bear · hide · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. roll — a list
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. object — a thing
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. roll — a cake

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