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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — a song
  3. field — a subject
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — obliged
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — farmland
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. field — for sport
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. leaves — of a tree

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