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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. mate — a friend
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — a law
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to tire
  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