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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: rock · content · rule · mate · bore · cold · pass · bulb

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — government
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cold — not warm
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. content — happy
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rule — a law
  24. bulb — of a plant

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