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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — there
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. present — the time now
  24. pass — to succeed

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