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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spell — letters
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — certain
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — steady
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — a company
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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