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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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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 · game · snap · bore · bound · sharp · stand · drill

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — army training
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bound — obliged

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