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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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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: bore · wind · pit · nail · firm · can · bowl · pass

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — steady
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — a company
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. firm — decided
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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