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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
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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 · content · cold · shower · lean · pass · jam · fine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cold — not warm
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. lean — thin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — to spend time

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