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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — certain
  9. bore — to drill
  10. snap — to click
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bound — tied together
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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