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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mate — a friend
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cell — a phone

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