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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: bear · pass · lean · bore · cabinet · cold · rest · mark

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — thin

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