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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bore — to tire
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — on a finger

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