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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: bore · squash · spring · mate · race · pass · bat · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — humankind
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spring — of water
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. spring — the season

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