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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — to tire
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — a container
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — the underground
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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