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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 120 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: season · row · object · cell · bore · pass · temple · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to tire
  3. row — to paddle
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — of the year
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — to drill

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