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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — a hint
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bore — to tire

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