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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — after costs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — for digging
  24. face — to confront

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