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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bound — obliged
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. plane — a tool

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