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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 120 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 · last · mark · row · fine · tear · land · pass

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — finally
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — all right
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — a trace

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