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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bank — of a river
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — a video
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — government

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