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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — a permit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spring — of water
  17. clip — a video
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — the season

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