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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a skill

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