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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 116 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: stick · bore · bank · leaves · face · pass · kid · content

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — to tease
  6. content — happy
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to confront
  18. bore — to tire
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — of a tree

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