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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — for digging
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — a video
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lean — thin
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to drill
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bound — certain
  24. bat — in an idiom

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