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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fall — the season
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rule — government
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — for a hammer

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