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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pass — to spend time

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