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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — to tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — all right
  23. bore — to drill
  24. jam — a tight spot

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