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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — a list
  12. pop — soda
  13. bore — to tire
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bound — certain
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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