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

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — help
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pass — a permit

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