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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.

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: kid · bore · spell · pass · leaves · mouse · band · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kid — child
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spell — letters
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mouse — the animal

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