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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 124 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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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: pass · suit · staff · foot · last · chest · bore · bay

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — clothes
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — final
  22. chest — a box
  23. suit — to fit
  24. staff — employees

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