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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 · stick · pass · spell · mate · rest · chair · bear

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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