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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: last · bore · shower · mug · pass · jam · board · face

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mug — to rob
  6. last — to go on
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. face — to confront
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — part of the head
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. face — to point toward
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — final

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