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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a song
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chest — a box
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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