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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.

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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: cell · season · bore · bay · clip · field · rock · pass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — in sport
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — of the year
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. field — a subject
  15. clip — to cut
  16. field — farmland
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — a video
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — for sport
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rock — to move gently

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