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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 · pass · straw · bat · suit · hide · mug · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a cup
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — a face
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — to visit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bat — 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