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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — help
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. band — a ring
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — tied together

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