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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.

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: bore · can · pass · chair · tube · clip · staff · bear

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — a container
  9. chair — a leader
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. clip — a video
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — to cut
  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