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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
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: bore · drill · pass · straw · can · tube · cold · hide

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. drill — army training
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. can — to be able to
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — a container
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — a tin

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