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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a line
  5. land — a country
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — ground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — a permit

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