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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a city
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. capital — money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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