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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. firm — steady
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to drill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. hand — in cards

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