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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cold — not warm
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — a leader
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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