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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — final
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tube — in a 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