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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — completely
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — soda
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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