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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: date · hide · bay · bore · pass · bat · sharp · stick

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. date — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — to drill

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