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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 120 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: pop · bore · shower · pass · mark · bay · hand · wake

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bore — to tire
  15. shower — rain
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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