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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — to breed

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