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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — there
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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