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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cell — a phone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pass — a permit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — a match
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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