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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: mug · rush · bore · net · bound · pass · stem · last

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — final
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — finally
  17. bound — certain
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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