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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 120 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: cue · wound · sharp · rash · pass · bore · march · foot

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wound — an injury
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — a series

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