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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill

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