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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · tube · patient · mouse · pass · cold · key · bore

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — a container
  17. cold — not warm
  18. key — in music
  19. cold — an illness
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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