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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 124 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bound — obliged
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — to confront
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bound — tied together
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — part of the body

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