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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: saw · date · pass · bound · mark · wind · tear · bore

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a trace
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bound — tied together

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