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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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