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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. drill — the tool
  9. file — a document
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — for a computer

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