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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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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 · mine · firm · band · pass · snap · bay · present

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — a company
  4. snap — to click
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — decided
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. band — a ring
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — there
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. present — a gift
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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