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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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