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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — a video
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — music
  24. march — music

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