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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — certain
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. tube — a container
  16. present — there
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — help

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