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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — size or range
  8. clip — a video
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — obliged

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