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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.

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: pass · bore · temple · hide · land · sharp · wake · leaves

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — a country
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — clever

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