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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: pass · cap · row · march · deal · bear · bore · saw

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — a line
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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