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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — to play on
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — a container

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