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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. capital — money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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