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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 · temple · clip · spell · fine · calf · net · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. clip — for paper
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — a video
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — a permit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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