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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: present · cold · lean · rush · rule · can · bore · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — a tin
  13. present — the time now
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — a law
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lean — to bend

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