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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cold — not warm
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — music

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