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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — humankind

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