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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bore · present · lie · last · kid · pass · branch

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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