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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — in football
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rest — a break

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