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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: kid · bore · bay · bass · bat · stem · cabinet · pass

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kid — child
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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