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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mouse — the animal

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