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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: fine · swing · toast · last · bay · pass · mouse · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — final
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — in golf
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. swing — music
  15. last — finally
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. toast — bread
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — the most admired

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