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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 116 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
468
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: pass · bore · tube · bass · mine · court · drill · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — army training
  4. court — of a king
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. court — of law
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — to drill

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