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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · ground · season · pass · fan · wound · safe · stick

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ground — the earth
  5. season — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — a position
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to drill
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — to add flavour

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